Between
by Sub-Atomic Grape
Summary: Time stretches out between attacks, battles, and one war and the next. In those moments and pauses, Robin and Chrom realize the depth of their bond, and what the future might hold for a tactician and her commander.
1. Between Blades

**Chapter 1: Between Blades**

((Author's note: On a lark, I decided to pair up female Robin and Chrom during my first play through of Fire Emblem: Awakening. In hindsight, I really should've realized doing this would smack me with a new OTP, and a good amount of inspiration for fanfic. Hope you enjoy this first foray into the fandom.))

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Falchion was a gleam of white and gold trimmed light, and the air whistled around the edges as the blade sheared through the smoke wrapped around him. The axe it clashed against was made of stronger stuff then wisps of dark air, though. The weapon gave a metallic screech as the steel edges scrapped together, but when Falchion broke free, the worst the axe had was a chunk taken out of its blade instead of being cleaved in two.

Where bandits got steel that good, Chrom didn't know. But he'd need to look into it, if this was a sign that outlaws were as well armed as Shepherds. Another clash, another chip cut out of the axe, and Chrom thought he was at least making the thug angry on how many notches he was taking out of the weapon. When the counter attack came, he was already jumping backwards and away from the arc of the blade. His boots scrapped at the floor, and his lungs burned as the impact shocked a breath thick with ash into him. His eyes stung as he blinked to clear them, and realized that he was standing alone; he'd rushed too far ahead. He couldn't feel anyone at his side or back, and the bandit was already charging forward-

Too fast, Chrom knew. This was going to be a sloppy parry at best, and his arm was already telling him exactly where it was going to get strained and cut up the worse. Tension raced up his muscles as he held raised the sword back up. Even his hair was starting to stand up on end, and when he breathed in he wasn't tasting smoke; the air had a strange, almost electric taste to it.

"CHROM, get down!" A voice snapped out right as he figured out what was happening. He couldn't hit the street stones fast enough as the air crackled and the bandit stopped stock still as something lanced over Chrom's shoulder and through the axe hand. Sparks flew off of the bandit, bright against the haze, and even pressed flat against the ground Chrom's hands stung as a few stray shots spat at him. When the spell ended, the attacker crumbled to the ground.

Robin was a blur of black cloak and purple trim. She didn't move like someone who had just woken up in a field as she snapped her hand out and sent another bolt arcing off her fingertips. She stood beside Chrom as he scrambled to his feet, keeping a bubble of space and lightning between them and the bandits. There was a ring of steel forming around them; Chrom thought that he could count five blades aimed at him and Robin, though with his feet under him he felt a lot more confident about being able to handle them.

"I was watching our flank one second," she explained as she drew close to him. "I thought you were beside me-"

"Saw someone making a dash for the houses." Chrom grunted in response as Falchion fell back into his grip. "Didn't want to see what happened if they were spotted and someone beat down the door." He could see Robin's eyes dart over the bandits and the splintered door behind, as she gave a slow nod. The wind shifted around them, making the smoke too thick to know if there were any faces in the windows watching them. But even with the city getting choked out and even the bandits becoming more hazy, Robin stood out clear against his side. Her hair was already tousled and matted with sweat as she looked around, her breath coming heavy. "I should've seen where you were, and how close he was," she was muttering to herself, and even though the words weren't meant for him, Chrom found himself replying. "We're not dead, and neither are the people in those buildings; don't worry about it." Robin gave him a surprised blink, but nodded as she shoved a few loose strands of hair out of her face and reached for her sword.

"...R-right." And with more confidence she added "So, does that answer your question about my spells?"

"That I should be standing back." Chrom replied, while Robin just rolled her eyes and stepped so they were shoulder to shoulder. She brought her sword up the same time as he did, as the mob threw themselves at the two.

She was no Frederick; Chrom knew that right as they plunged into the fight, shoulders bumping together as they tried to fight as a unit. It wasn't just dips in the street Chrom was stumbling over as he slashed at one fighter that drew too close; the new girl's steps didn't move the same as his, and his elbow bumped against hers as he spun out of one attack before delivering a counterstroke. He didn't bother with striking the steel that time; just brought Falchion down hard on the haft of the weapon...Which, he knew instantly from the way it splintered and parted like paper, wasn't the same quality as the steel.

Robin's shoulder brushed against his as she closed the gap and drove her sword in past the ruins of the weapon and into the bandit's gut. He fell with a gurgle, and Chrom accounted for a second thug as he tried to keep in close enough contact with Robin that their backs were covered. It was less working together and more of dancing around the other...But they managed, as another body and then another was laid out on the street. By the end of it Chrom was breathing just as hard as Robin, and his skin was also soaked through with sweat. But just sweat; no blood, and barely any bruises.

And he still had the energy to spin around when he heard hooves drumming towards them as a horse and rider galloped out of the smoke.

"Milord," Frederick drawled above him, and Chrom could just pick out that he was already cleaning the blade of his spear. "The brigands have turned tail; I managed to chase them to the outskirts of the town, but there was only a handful that tried to hold out...Which you appear to have taken care of."

"Y-yeah." Chrom steadied is breath as he stood up straighter, getting more air into his lungs. "Robin and I managed." Frederick was already casting a critical eye over Robin as he spoke. He could guess that Frederick was picking out how she and Chrom both looked ragged, and the bodies they'd accounted for.

"Seems...Messy at best."

Messy, but it had kept them from dying like the bandits around them. "Maybe, but it's a lot better then nothing."

-o-o-o-

There were some things Robin just knew; her name, the ideas of movement, where and how to strike and direct soldiers to an enemy's weak points, and the basics of tactics. They were things that came instantly to her mind. Then, there were things she didn't grasp immediately, but learned quickly. How fast each of the Shepherds could move, that it was good to keep different people close together.

And, as she was quickly committing to memory, that a trip to Ylissse's northern border would be anything but uneventful. And that these new enemies would harry them at every chance given. Overhead the sky was blazing red from the setting sun, making her grateful they were in thick forest for a change; it may have slowed down their movements, but the same was happening for the Risen, and the branches blocked out the worst of the low rays that could have slid into their eyes.

"...I'm not liking this." The groans were pressing in on her ears as more and more bodies pulled themselves up from the forest floor. They stood hulking in the shadow of the trees, swelling up in numbers and waiting to hit that mass that would push them into attack. "I'm not liking this at all." The tactician repeated while she struggled to come up with some sort of strategy.

"Look," Chrom's voice was low, as if he knew that one word spoken too loud would decide the enemy. "We've got to do something, instead of staying here like fat flightless ducks."

"I know," she whispered. "And I don't think we should count on any masked swordsmen dropping out of the sky this time."

Those hisses and groans from decaying throats left her grip on the sword as a knuckle white clutch. Her pulse was pounding, and Robin had a second to wonder if she was just imaging the back of her hand burning in time with the pain going through her fingers. Oddly enough the sensation was only on the right one...But she didn't have any longer to dwell on that, as another clump of Risen clawed and shuffled their way through the trees.

She shifted her steps again, glancing around to fully take in what they were facing. A fallen branch turned under her feet, straining and splintering as her weight came down on it. Her eyes picked out a score of Risen, maybe more, all shambling out from the underbrush. She needed time to think, plan some form of defense for their troop...When the stick snapped under her feet with a crackle that could have been a starting shot. The Risen lunged out from the trees with a guttural roar as Robin bit back a curse. How something that shambled that much could suddenly turn blindingly fast, she didn't know. But they were charging in quick, and too fast for her-

"ROBIN!" Chrom shouted into her panic, breaking through it. "Give the damn orders!" His voice was blunt, and for a change she was glad he wasn't treating her as a lady. (Even if the memory of the conversation made her wonder if there weren't any rocks under the foliage to store for later.)

"C-cavalry!" Her voice grew more steady as she shouted out a plan that was falling into her head. "Fan out and flank! Healers, mages and archers in the back! Swords and axes up front," She paused as she looked back at Chrom, still waiting for the last order from her. "Chrom, you're with me as the spear point for this attack!"

The second she said that, Chrom was already stepping next to her, Falchion held in front of them both and leveled at the nearest Risen. "Right." There was a hint of a smile pulling up at his lips as he listened to her...Though even with that light, confident smile, Robin noticed that he wasn't watching his left. She rolled her eyes and switched over there with a huff, already picking out that one of the Risen had lurched close to them. "To your side!" she barked out, while Chrom darted out of the path of a sword. She moved with him, shadowing his movements as Chrom's weaved away, before he rebalanced and ran the attacker through. His sword tore through torso and rotted leather armor with a barely a whisper, and Robin swore that the edges of the blade were glowing blue in the fading light.

And he'd switched from a light smile to a full on grin, Robin noticed with a jolt. "That's more like it; you're already acting like a seasoned Shepherd."

"It's not like I have a lot of choice!" Robin shot back as her sword licked out and parted a hand from a wrist. There wasn't any blood, just purple smoke that faded into the clouds overhead as it drifted up. "I wanted to plan before I got shoved into this-"

Another growl, and Chrom was ducking away from an attack from his right, while Robin caught a blur of motion on her own side. An axe about to smash into her side, and a sword trying to skewer Chrom...And that time they didn't bump together or stumble, as Robin flowed around his shoulder and her feet danced between his steps. As she darted towards the Risen attacking him, there wasn't any time to plan or think things through, just react and feel around whatever needed to be done. The leaves beneath their feet rustled while they traded places, and Robin drove her blade square through the Risen fighter's chest before she had the time to grasp what they'd just pulled off. Chrom did the same, before turning to give her an astonished look as the bodies dissolved.

"Not...That I'm complaining about this." Robin continued, glancing between their handiwork and Chrom. "This is better then laying around confused and doing nothing." That was all the time she had for speaking, before another warrior was rushing them. Their movements weren't as smooth this time, balance a little wobbly and strikes not as sure as before, but Robin could catch flickers of what they'd managed as they popped into synch one second long enough to deflect and turn a fatal thrust from one enemy, or striking down another. There was less worrying about where the other would be, less guessing on where to move next. And somehow it felt...Right to be fighting side by side.

_'Better then laying in a field.'_ Robin reminded herself of her own words, although that didn't feel like the full answer. But by then, the sparks from where Chrom's sword was hitting steel pulled her attention away from those thoughts.

That glimmer of blue had grown to a brilliant flare, just like the first night the Risen had attacked. Watching it bite through armor and dead flesh alike, Robin could believe the stories overheard in the barracks about Falchion being carved from Naga's own fang. Her sword lacked the same brilliance or flawless edge, but it was light in her hands. Robin sent it whistling through the air, fast enough to match Chrom's speed and carve openings for him, or finish off whatever Falchion had sliced up. Together they were a whirl of steel that shredded through anything that tried to close with them.

Around her, Robin could pick out the sounds of other battles; Sully, Frederick and Stahl riding down the foot soldiers in a charge of pounding hooves, the controlled crackle and flare of Miriel's spells that precisely struck whatever was needed, and leaving Vaike to charge in howling as Virion's arrows hissed overhead.

Each time she had time to draw breath, Robin counted the dark figures clashing with the Shepherds. A sword swipe to cleave a head from shoulders, and looking up to see that there was just a handful left. Lightning sparked from her fingers, and that number dropped to five. Chrom mowed into the last as her count reached one, and he speared the enemy into the ground before looking up at her.

"...Wow." Chrom's eyes couldn't decide if they were going to rest on her, or the remains at their feet. Glancing between her sword and the smoke seemed like the best compromise.

"Problem solved?" Her own smile was shaky, which was mirrored by Chrom as he nodded.

-o-o-o-

The wind bit at his face, driving cold air and flakes of snow into his vision. Chrom squinted against it as he dashed across the stones that made up the floor of the Long Fort. The storm howled through the battlefield, and the force of it only grew now that they'd cut their way onto the second level of the wall and up into the frigid air. He could see the Feroxi commander, Raimi, shouting orders as the wind shifted and another gust of snow and wind whipped along the battlements.

The Shepherds around him faded into the snow flurry as they engaged opponents...Save for Robin. The dark cloak stood out against all the white, and she stuck close to him as they crashed into the last soldier standing between them and the goal of the battle. She missed the first window of attack, and Chrom gritted his teeth as he parried another blow-

Which was when Robin's eyes sharpened, and she struck the fighter across the helmet with the pommel of her sword. The sound of metal striking metal rang like a bell, and the warrior was laid out cold on the ground before Chrom had time to blink.

"Not bad," his words were almost swallowed up by the wind, but Robin heard him and gave a nod. "You pulled your strike, though?"

"Diplomacy," Robin answered. "Feroxi way or not, I don't think we're going to win any hearts or minds by killing their soldiers."

"Right...All the more important that we finish this quick." Her eyes followed his, to where the commander stood in her armor. Chrom threw himself off the floor in a dash, cutting through the space. He knew he was outpacing Robin, but couldn't convince his heart to slow down or his feet to slow their pace. He meant what he said about finishing the battle quickly. As Robin had reminded him, it wouldn't do much good for Ylisse or for Emmeryn if they bled the people they were trying to make an alliance with.

Which was why he kept the sword light in his hands as he closed with Raimi, still trying to be quick on his feet, and quicker then her in all that armor. One strike to knock the spear away from his heart. Another as he twisted sharp on the edge of his heel to bring himself back around for another cut while praying to Naga that he was fast enough and wouldn't be catching the knight's mailed gauntlet across his face. But when he lifted his head he was sure he saw a fist waiting to crash down on his head. It hung in the air for one second, when a crackling filled the air. It was almost out of habit that Chrom threw himself back as a bolt of magic slammed into the Feroxi knight. A second later he heard the rest of the lightning and thunder catch up to them, as the woman flew backwards and hit the ground with a clatter.

"...Checkmate." Robin was breathless behind him, and her words came out strained as she worked to get air back in her lungs. "Now just tell me she's still breathing, so we can open negotiations."

The groan from the downed warrior was as good an answer as any. Chrom nodded as he turned to glance at Robin. "Yeah...And thanks for the save."

"I might be getting used to this yet." Robin answered, showing an almost grin as they moved to stand over the downed opponent.

-o-o-o-

When she set the sword in front of him, Chrom gave it an uncomprehending blink. He didn't look any wiser when he saw her dressed for a fight, carefully wrapped in borrowed Feroxi training armor.

"Come on Chrom, up." She prompted him, before adding "Training. You need it as Flavia's champion, and I need it if I'm going to help you. I won't be able to do much in the arena if I only study books." He brightened up as she spoke, before giving a nod and saying "meet me at the training field."

It only took five minutes off stumbling around the castle's snow choked field for Robin to swiftly regret telling him to spar with her. He really didn't understand the concept of slowing down or breaks to catch her breath. By the time her sides were heaving, he didn't even look winded. The practice swords clacked together again as he advanced, and even with the dull edges Robin knew she'd be nursing bruises that evening. The sweat on her forehead constantly jumped between chokingly hot from her body heat, or freezing from the bite of the cold air winding through the training grounds.

"I take back what I said about needing something other then books." She panted out. "I'm just going to read about strategy from now on and shout advice to you from the back of the lines." That didn't make him let up completely, although he paused long enough to laugh and for Robin to pull back and get some breathing room.

"I don't believe that for a second, and neither do you." The pause didn't last long, and soon enough her arms were screaming at her as she swung her sword back up. "Come on!" Chrom shouted between strikes and as she kept scrambling backwards. "I know you've got a lot more stamina then this-" She dodged to the side as he thrust, and from the look in his eyes he hadn't expected that...Especially not when he hit a patch of snow covered ice and stumbled forward. Robin was already ducking out of the way when he fell past her eyesight...Though she heard the crash behind her.

When she turned it was to find Chrom was laying flat on his back, giving a shattered training dummy a bewildered look. His eyes were wide, like he couldn't quite understand why there were now just splinters littering the ground.

"Breaking things during training...You always do that," Robin sighed as she stared down at him.

"How do you know it's always?" She couldn't decide if Chrom's voice was sulky or teasing.

"I don't know, but I can make some pretty educated guesses. Given how you almost always put holes in things, I think it's a fair guess to say this happens a LOT."

"...Less then a moon with us, and you already know me all too well." She wanted to retort that since he had walked in on her in the bath, it only seemed fair that she was getting a good idea of him in return. But instead she replied with "come on," as she pulled him to his feet. "And just...Take things a little slower this time?" Once she asked that, he was right back to chuckling, and only laughed harder when she punched him in the arm.

-o-o-o-

"Who taught you how to fight like that?"

"My _father!"_ The words were almost shrieked out beneath that mask in a way that made Robin flinch. Chrom could see her start and recoil a half step in the corner of his eye, and even he was surprised by how bitter they sounded. His opponent didn't offer any more words past that, just a constant clash of swords as the two blades danced and struck. It was also an equal fight and struggle to keep his eyes where they were supposed to be; the shoulders, the center of the body, instead of that sword. It could have been Falchion's twin; even after so many strikes, the length of the blade was unmarked and looked like it had been freshly drawn from the scabbard. Not a single nick on the surface, and it gleamed with wicked purpose in the arena torchlight.

_'Don't look at the gods blasted sword!' _He yelled at himself again, just in time to dance to the side and leave the sword cleaving through the air instead of his chest. Marth didn't give him time to breathe, driving forward and leaving him pressed to keep what he could of his footing. He didn't risk blinking with the speed of the strikes...And he couldn't pick out any intent or hint in the eyes behind that mask, another advantage Marth had over him. "Yield?" Marth growled out between clenched teeth, as Chrom deflected a blow that left his fingers stinging. He jerked his head back and forth in a no, telling his hands to stay steady for a second longer.

He didn't have to wait for long. The black and purple blur in the edges of his vision was familiar now, and a welcome sight as Robin slid in between the two. Her sword caught Marth's with a shower of sparks that left her blade with a new and deeply set notch, but Robin threw her weight forward to push their opponent back. The masked swordsmen flew backwards, feet skidding along the floor as he fought to regain his balance.

By the time he'd pulled himself upright, Chrom was already charging to meet him. Falchion was back to being feather light in his hands, hammering away at those defenses. Marth was meeting him each attack, but Chrom thought that there was a desperation to Marth's strikes now, as his breath came faster. Chrom still couldn't pick out anything behind the mask, but suspected his opponent was glancing back at Robin. His defenses felt more confused and divided, as he tried to defend from two points.

And right on cue, Robin was where she needed to be when those defenses faltered. She was a match for Marth's speed, stepping perfectly into the gap Chrom made as he shoved the mirrored blade towards the ground and pinned it against the floor stones long enough for her attack.

The bolt of thunder left spots in his eyes, but sheared in perfectly; Chrom could taste the electricity in the air, but felt none of it as he pulled back right in step with Robin. She paused long enough to rest a hand on his shoulder to rebalance herself; he'd long since learned that fast casting like that was disorienting for her, and took some of her weight.

They could afford a second to rebalance, since Marth lay stunned on the floor. And while the mask still shielded his face, Chrom could hear how his breath was coming out in a bewildered gasp. He thought he could hear "Incredible..." on the end of it. And for a second Chrom thought, _'Yes...She is'_ before he could think twice about the words.


	2. Between Battles

**Chapter 2: Between Battles**

"Robin?" Chrom's voice was hushed, just skimming her hearing. When she lifted her head up from the book, Robin saw him framed against a darkened sky and holding up the tent flap. The moon had risen as well, and she could just glimpse it over his shoulder. Even with that, it took Robin a moment to pull herself out of the words she'd sunk into and realize what all those images meant. She didn't think it had grown that late.

"Are you still at it?"

"Hhh, yeah." It wasn't really a full fledged laugh, but she managed a sound close enough in the back of her throat. But at least her smile was genuine enough as she turned back to the test. "I promise I'll go to sleep in a little bit. Once the candle mark is through."

"So...That would be now?" Robin blinked up from the book before glancing at the candle. There was little more then a glob of wax left, and the flame was starting to gutter out as she turned back to Chrom. "O-Okay maybe just one more mark after this one?" Even with a second try, the laugh that came out of her mouth still wasn't the light hearted one she was hoping for, instead brittle and more then a little shaky. It didn't do much to convince him, either. Or send him out of the tent. Instead, Chrom shook his head as the tent flap drifted shut behind him, and he paced to where she was.

"I've got a good idea on how this is going to go. One more candle mark is going to stretch into another...And then you're going to end up spending the rest of the night awake and hunched over this table. And run the Shepherds out of candles." She couldn't bring herself to answer with a lie, though Robin did manage to pull herself upright so she wasn't leaning over the lightweight desk and scrolls sprawled across it.

"Look, I'm just finalizing our march plans for tomorrow," she offered, which did nothing to change his expression.

"This late? I get the work ethic, but..." But he already had her figured out, Robin knew; that her first response to worry was to hide from it with books and planning. "What's got you so worked up?" He wasn't going to break eye contact with her until she answered, Robin knew. The candlelight made his stare all the more intense, so she ran her fingers over her quill to help steady her thoughts before speaking. The feel of the feather parting and smoothing out, even with gloves on, was comforting.

"You know that..." Her tongue halted over the next word. "Grimleal force we dispatched today?" Chrom's affirmative was a low hum in the back of his throat, but it coaxed her to keep speaking. "There's something about them that I don't..." It was right on the tip of her tongue, the same way a headache was settling in at the edges of her temples and threatening her with a migraine if she kept thinking about it. Chrom must have seen how her eyes narrowed, since he pulled up one of the chairs and sat down next to her.

"They're a cult." His voice was steady, calming in a way that started to ease the worst of her temple pains back. "And we routed enough of them that we won't have to worry about them during the rescue mission; you saw that yourself." Robin nodded, but there wasn't a lot of strength to it. She wasn't thinking about how far they'd sent the remnants fleeing, or how their cavalry had kept them running well away from Plegia's capital. Instead her mind's eye fixated on the remains of those cultists that weren't fast enough. Of that six diamond emblem sewn into their clothing, clear even when swords had pierced them and turned those red robes into a darker shade.

Her fingers itched, no matter how tight she kept her grip on the quill. Her entire skin felt like needles were settling over it, leaving her sides quivering. The worst of it settled over the back of her hand, and even with her glove still on, Robin could feel the brand itch at her skin and demand her attention. Instead, she scrawled another note on the parchment, more scratch than ink with the force she put into her writing.

"...Why would anyone have faith in a dark dragon, of all things?" She didn't realize those words were spoken out loud until Chrom shook his head.

"I can't tell you what goes through a madman's head. If I could, I might have been able to stop Plegia's mad king before he got his claws on Emm."

"You and me both." She shook her head, trying to pry her fingers loose from that iron grip they had on the quill. But the muscles in her hand still burned and refused to do anything other then shake so badly that her fingers locked into a fist.

There were other mad whispers playing in her head; the cultists screams for Grima to empower them mixing with another, more low key but far more menacing voice. The assassin's voice bit into her memory, pulled her back to a different night where she was surrounded by richly carved stone instead of simple tent canvas. She could still see him, tall and gaunt in Ylisse's courtyard and staring down at her the same way a man might watch a fascinating insect. His eyes had been narrowed from the smirk crossing his face, but Robin had still been able to pick out that mocking, arrogant light to them. It matched his voice, as he taunted her with telling her the truth if she surrendered.

"Are you thinking about him again?" Chrom's voice jolted her back into the present and startled a nod out of Robin before she could think.

"Th-there was just something about that killer and that cult leader that was...I don't know how to put this right. But something similar." In a way that still made her back fight between freezing up and curling forward. "He looked so damned smug and satisfied when he saw me, too...I don't know why, and I'm not sure I _want_ to know why."

"Hey, we took care of him, didn't we?" A hand moved over her shoulder, easing the tension running through her arm and pulling her head back up. Chrom had a smile on for her, even though she could see the fatigue settling into the edges of his mouth and eyes.

"...Right." She murmured. "Don't worry; I'll have my head in the present once the fighting starts."

"And I trust you will..." He gave her shoulder a small squeeze that eased her fingers open, before tugging on her arm. "But I'd also like you to have your head in the present NOW. There isn't any danger breathing down our necks, so you should worry more about being relaxed. And think about getting some sleep." Robin didn't strain against his grip as he pulled her up, though she did give him a quick eye roll and exasperated look.

"Well, since you're not about to take no for an answer...Okay. I'll try to call it a night." She stalled as he steered her towards the door. "But only if you promise that I still get the usual allotment of candles tomorrow, too."

"As you command, milady." She could easily pick out the wryness in that formality, but for a change decided she was too tired to punch him in the shoulder for that. Particularly when she found herself enjoying the help with walking back to her own tent.

-o-o-o-

Red was in his vision, staining his surroundings. His heart and blood both pounded hot in his veins, but with nothing close to vent that smoldering feeling on.

"...Rom," There was rainwater sluicing across his bangs and running down his face, cold enough that it left a shiver settling his shoulders. His hands by contrast were burning up, coated with something a lot warmer then rainwater, and numb from how much shock had run through them.

"Chrom!" The voice was still cautious, but turning more insistent. A hand clapped over his shoulder, pushing his blood back up to pounding. With a snarl he whirled around as he lashed out with a free hand to push whatever the threat was away and into the arc of his sword.

Mud stained robes flared out as the person under his hand hit the ground, staring up at him with startled eyes that were more white then color. His own eyes picked out the purple trim and diamonds lining the sleeves of his target, and a second later the name _'Robin'_ lanced through the red haze clouding his thoughts. His sword arm yanked to a stop as he staggered away.

More things were piercing that rage now, pulling it away from his eyes and thoughts. How the two of them were alone in a torn up swath of ground that had been trod down into mud and shattered stone from a nearby fort wall. The thick iron smell that the rain hadn't yet washed out of the air...Or that Robin was still staring at him in shock, and how that look on her face was pushing a sick feeling into his stomach.

Falchion was a red veined mess in his hands. Blood and rainwater mixed together and ran the length of the blade in rivulets, as the sudden weight of the sword almost tore the weapon out of his hands. His stomach turned loops as he looked at the weapon, the memory of how he'd carved through so many turning hazy and scarlet.

_'Don't drop it,'_ he had the presence of mind to think while his hands shook. He forced them to stay steady as he slashed the sword to the side, well away from where Robin was. The red and rain on his sword flew off in an arc, splashing against the mud and making extra ripples in the puddles torn into the ground. His cloak had been turned to tatters and shredded as much as the ground, and Chrom didn't think twice about tearing a shred loose in order to wipe the blade clean before sheathing it.

He was trying not to think too much about anything, just then. He felt like he was sleepwalking through the motions as he made sure Falchion was safely placed in the scabbard. With his hands free he peeled his gloves off and let them fall to the muck, for all the good it did with the blood already soaked past the cloth and caking under his fingernails. At least that gave the rain a chance to wash some of his skin clean.

With all that done, his hands decided it was time to step up their shaking, while his breath tried to sob in his throat. Ahead of him, Robin was pulling herself up from the mud, still watching him carefully.

"Back with us, Chrom?" She didn't reach out for him that time, and he forced himself to nod as his breath rasped in his throat.

"S-sorry," he just managed to say. His stomach wouldn't stop twisting itself up as he watched her, and that ever present thought of _'What did you do, Chrom? What did you almost do?' _taking up the slack as his heart tried to slow down. "I wasn't-"

Wasn't thinking at all, just running on rage. Which had torn through everything, and his balance almost gave up on him when he saw the rips and bloodstains in Robin's cloak. "I didn't-!" She saw how his eyes fixed on her, and that spurred her towards him.

"Wasn't you; I had to keep up with you when you charged the lines. Make sure nothing flanked you, and watched your back." Kept him alive, he knew with another twist in his chest. "Orders from Frederick...And my own common sense. I picked up some cuts along the way, but I did my job."

_'Your job isn't taking punishment for me,'_ he wanted to say, but there was something about another person getting hurt for his sake...It was too close to Emm, and his throat choked around the words. The best he could do was nod as Robin steered him away from the battlefield and towards their original goal of escape. And he was left with drifting through their steps and trying to settle back into that numb place; however detached it felt, it was better then staying in a state where hurt and fear meant something. And where the red on their skin left him feeling even more full of breaks and shattered pieces then before.

-o-o-o-

Feroxi doors, for all their weight and size, were fashioned with surprisingly quiet hinges. Her footfalls were louder then the door creak as Robin pushed at them. In the back of her head, her thoughts buzzed and hummed with uncertainty, constantly asking if this was a good idea. She hushed them by remembering Chrom's steady presence when she was confused and lost. She kept that memory of comfort held in her mind as she stepped through the doorway, keeping her back to the torches in the halls and letting her eyes adjust.

Tall windows ringed the room, curtains half drawn over them and letting only a few weak rays of moonlight fall across the bed. Chrom was already laying across it, back to the room's entrance, and didn't stir as Robin let the door swing shut behind her. She could see his sides rising and falling as she moved across the floor, not steady enough for him to be sleeping. They were fluttering and sporadic, while his breath was almost strangled sounding. Her feet scuffed at the floor in a stumble when she realized he was crying.

That near trip got him to turn his head around to stare at her, and pull himself up onto his elbows when he realized there was another person in the room. It was too dim for her to see any tears on his face, but his voice was thick enough that she could guess how badly his grief had wrapped around him.

"Robin-?" The covers were a mess as well, and she could imagine how much he'd been tossing and turning in just the last hour. She nodded as she stepped next to the bed, while Chrom scrubbed his hand across his face before looking right at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Well...I came here to help." Her words weren't going to freeze up, Robin told herself. "You...You remember what I said before? You were already there for me once, and I promised that I'd be there to pull you up when you fell. So that's why I'm here." He didn't bluster that he was fine, or deny what they'd said...Or turn away as Robin sat down on the edge of the bed. He sat up fully so they were side by side, and she could just pick out the moonlight reflecting off the whites of his eyes...And the remains of tears on his face. "I'm here to help you now."

"I'll be alright," he offered in a tired voice, all of the conviction sapped out of it and not convincing her that he was telling the truth. But since his voice was low, she kept hers soft as well.

"I don't doubt it...You were brave enough when we all met in the great hall. But you're not alright _now,_ and that's why I'm here." Her breath didn't quite frost as she spoke, but as she remained sitting, Robin could pick out a chill. Even the heavy stone walls couldn't keep out every bit of chill from the night air. Robin frowned as she felt the draft in the room, and saw that Chrom wasn't shaking solely from muffled sobs.

"I'm not blind, Chrom. And I wouldn't be much of a tactician if I wasn't observant. I know that you're not at your best right now." She pulled a blanket over his shoulders, and he didn't try to duck out from under it. "You're getting better though."

"Robin-" when Chrom spoke, it was in a low and still choked voice, while his hand ghosted out towards her shoulder. His fingers rested on her cloak for a heartbeat...And then he flinched when he realized what he was doing, yanking his hand back. Chrom ducked his head out from that beam of moonlight, hiding it in shadow as his shoulders tensed forward, shame written clear across his body.

"Chrom, it's alright." Robin's fingers searched for his hand, her voice surprising even herself with how calm it was. Steady, gentle, just a whisper of comfort to drape over Chrom. Her hand found his, and she placed it back on her shoulder. "You're alright, too; you're not going to hurt me." She felt his fingers tense and relax from the contact, being reassured.

"How are you so sure that's not going to happen again?" And she knew what he was talking about; the aftermath of the fight and their escape. Even behind so many stone walls, she wasn't sure either herself or Chrom had fully left the rain and battlefield behind them.

"I'm sure because it didn't even happen the first time. You didn't attack me then...You're not going to attack me now. And because I know you're Chrom. Not your father, not Gangrel...Not anyone else." His breath was still shaky, let out in a low sigh as he listened to her and slumped forward again. It was at least better then trying to hide from her.

"Yeah. But I wish I was-" Stronger, better...Robin knew all of those were edging onto his tongue as she shook her head. "You'll be fine...But there isn't any danger breathing down our necks for you to face right now." Her smile felt a little more wry then before. "I think you told me something like that, before. Back when I wasn't doing so well."

Her own memories weren't content with staying quiet, even though she wanted to scold them into silence; this was supposed to be about helping Chrom. Helping him move through his pain...And not dwelling on her own, however much it tried to bite at her.

"You're not okay right now, either." His fingers trailed over her arm and shoulder, and Robin wanted to curse her muscles for betraying her with their tenseness.

"Okay...I'm not." Robin's words whispered out between her teeth before she had a chance to stop them. "I've got my own guilt to shoulder now. I should have planned things better; had more back up ideas, contingency plans-" She didn't want to add to his tears, and bit back rawness in her throat.

"...Chrom, I don't know if I'll ever be able to apologize enough. I made a promise to you, that I'd save Emmeryn. And _I should have known and planned for everything_." A distant part of her was amazed at how bitter and broken her voice was, all of the words burning in her throat. That didn't keep them from falling out between her lips as she stared over his head and at the wall. "But I didn't, and we lost so many good soldiers. I let down the troops, Lissa, Emmeryn-" Damn her eyes for stinging, and Robin worked on blinking away any frustrated tears before they could fall.

"And it's not just that; you're all I know right now." Why did her voice choose to go shaky just then? She was the one who was supposed to be steady and determined, so he could have a shoulder to lean on. Instead, her back was starting to slump forward. "I've made a place with the Shepherds as a strategist. And if I can't plan...If my plans _fail_ like they did, then what good am I? Do I have any value now?"

_'Do you even still want me around?' _She at least kept that thought squared away in her head and off of her tongue. For all the good it did, as Chrom traced his fingers over her shoulder and down her arm in a more sure pattern.

"You ALWAYS have a place here. I'd never push you away." Once again, she had to wonder at how perceptive he could be at times. "...And you haven't let me down yet." The fingers on his other hand rested over hers, a cautious brush at first. But when she didn't tug her hand back, Chrom let their hands stay together. "You're the one that came here. And you're better then you give yourself credit for."

"I could say the same about you." Her hands moved over his, cupping them together. Robin could feel her gloves catch on the rough spots along his palm, set in there from Falchion's grip; not the sort of hands she'd ever expected from a lord. Though she also had never imagined fighting alongside a noble, or gaining such a connection from it. She lifted their hands up so they hung between them, her words dropping into an almost shy whisper. "You're my commander, and my leader. And..." She trailed off before she could finish that thought, realizing how close their faces were.

Robin wasn't sure if she was the one who moved first, or Chrom; either way, both their hands suddenly worked loose and were clutching the shoulders of the other. Her balance already wasn't at its best, and neither was Chrom's. When they pressed together, the world tipped sideways so they fell into the mattress with a soft 'thump' that was mostly swallowed up by the sheets.

"Guess that neither of us are at our best right now." Chrom whispered, as Robin felt heat chase any coldness out of her face. She hummed in agreement, but didn't take her hands off his back; they seemed to do something to help his breathing, and she didn't want to yank that equilibrium away.

There was still a war to win, Robin knew that. She had to be his tactician and steadfast companion out on the field. But this wasn't battlefield, her thoughts whispered to her as he breathed against her ear and Robin pulled him close. The walls around them were thick, shutting out the world beyond and the battles waiting for them. This wasn't a war she was right in the middle of planning; just one night where they had time to breathe between struggles. Just one night, where they were both as close to their lowest as she'd ever seen.

And she'd be a bigger fool then she was in Plegia if she didn't act decisively on that. And did something to salvage them both for whatever was to come.

"We'll be okay," Robin had time and breath enough to murmur into his ear, and Chrom showed enough presence to glance back, look her in the eye and give a solemn and sincere nod. "Just breathe...Don't focus on the rest for now. And I won't go until you say-"

"I'm not going to say anything else." Chrom ended up proving himself a liar with that promise. He sighed out her name several times that evening, before sleep finally closed over him. Robin had enough time to watch him, see the weight lift and leave him in peace for at least a few hours. Then her own fatigue caught up and sunk into her eyes, and she fell asleep while curled up against his side.

-o-o-o-

He woke up with his heart pounding, arms shaking and images of rain spattered corpses falling before him etched in his sight. There was an echo of Gangrel's mocking laugh still lodged in his ears, and his eyes jerked up to make sure it was a castle ceiling above him instead of dragon bones.

The worst part was realizing that it was just a dream...And that even that nightmare was still better then those images of Emm falling to her death and being powerless to stop it.

There was a shaky breath in his ear that chased those lingering phantoms away, and he felt someone shuddering in his arms. His awareness snapped back into place as he picked out a familiar tangle of hair in front of him, and dark colored robe. Robin hadn't shrugged out of her tactician's cloak during the night. But since it kept her warm, Chrom didn't see any reason to object. The cloth also kept his arms from going cold, and Chrom began to pick out how they were wrapped around her waist and shoulders, holding them close together.

Memories of how much she'd screamed and thrown things in the bath tent said that he should try and pull them back as quickly as possible, and hope that she didn't wake up in the process. His breath came quick as his muscles bunched up to do just that...But the rest of him remembered the previous night. How Robin had come to him, comforted him, and stayed with him. The memory of that kept him still.

Even with those faint trembles running through her back and arms, she was still solid against him. A steady presence that made him feel less adrift and confused. He gave a quiet prayer and thanks to Naga that Robin had shown up when she did, and that she somehow gave him a moment to feel something other then battered and not like grief was swallowing him whole. She was-

She was something important to him. What exactly, Chrom wasn't sure he wanted to focus on just then. Not with the morning sun filtering in through the window, and the rest of the world waiting for them.

"Robin?" He skimmed a hand along her shoulder, feeling a pang of guilt as he wondered what she was dreaming. It didn't seem like anything good, from how she was twitching under his fingers. "Robin...Wake up."

"Chrmmmm?" Her eyes were bleary, while her speech slurred out something that could have been his name.

"You okay?"

"Yeah..." Robin shook her head back and forth to chase drowsiness out of her head. She stopped when she saw the rays of sunlight moving through the curtains, and glanced back at him. "...Morning?"

"Probably. I doubt they'd leave us-" He started to reassure her, but the words halted once he said 'us.' And really thought about them as a unit of two, together. "T-to sleep and laze around until afternoon. But we shouldn't keep them waiting."

There'd be time to dwell on all of this later, Chrom reminded himself. Time when there wasn't a war to fight.

-o-o-o-

Even on a march, she tried to read whenever possible. Memorize strategies, formations, and maneuvers to keep the risk of death to a minimum. Which was why that evening, after a trek out from the Long Fort and into Plegia, Robin was ready to scream if the book in front of her didn't start giving up its information.

The text in front of her refused to fall into order. Robin would start reading one line in it, before the letters all blurred out as her memory was pulled back. She didn't see parchment in front of her, instead looking at a familiar mop of blue hair and eyes that for some reason wouldn't quite meet hers.

In her memory, Chrom watched her with a pinch to his lips that told her the Shepherd was worrying over something again. He'd been like that for days, ever since they'd left on the newest campaign. In battle Chrom had stuck to her like a bur, never letting her get more then a few paces from his side. Which made it all the more confounding, that when the chaos died down and any mortal peril stopped, he couldn't move away from her fast enough. And if there were rocks, fellow Shepherds...Even trees in the way, he ended up plowing past or through them, ignoring if that left him stumbling or confused and outraged looks following him.

It was amazing that she'd been able to talk with him at all, considering that.

_"You're working hard," _the memory of their discussion echoed in her ears.

_"Yeah," _she had replied, as neutral as possible._ "But only as hard as you are. We're both working on bringing this war to an end as quickly as possible."_ And then the silence stretched out between them again, as she fought to keep herself collected and not to start drilling him on why he was so reticent.

_"Sorry..." _When he finally spoke, his voice was low, and he wouldn't meet her eye to eye._ "I've just got a lot on my mind, and thinking about yo- I mean, thinking about what all we need to do."_

When he finished, Chrom stood apart from her. That gap between them was wedged back in place and leaving them feeling as unsynchronized as the day he found her in the field. He might have noticed that, from the way he had glanced at her and squeezed a hand over Falchion's grip. _"Is this going to hurt us in a fight?" _His voice had been so muted.

_"No."_ She'd forced herself to say that loud, and believe it was true._ "I'm not about to let you die on my watch. When the time comes, I'll be there at your side, leading everyone to victory."_ And that had been enough, apparently. It made him stand a little easier, even if that had been by the tiniest of margins. And even if the end of that discussion meant she was no closer to getting any answers on why he was so distant around her.

Or clearing her focus enough to read.

"...Damn me, and damn him." Robin cursed at her book, before closing it with a decisive clap of cover and pages. "He owes me an explanation, if nothing else." And with that in mind she went marching towards his tent, determined to get an answer from him.

She didn't step outside again for hours, until the candles had burned well low. (And Chrom, for a change, hadn't complained about the waste of wax.) Their talk, and the quiet embrace the followed, took longer then she could have predicted...And her earlier guesses at what they'd discuss never considered emotional confessions from either of them. When Robin lifted the tent flap, the stars were already out. She glanced back at Chrom, giving him a quick smile before stepping outside. Robin thought she could catch a small glint in his eyes as well; if nothing else, he looked like he would rest more easily that night.

And as for her...Robin knew that she needed to get some sleep, that it was another long day full of marches and skirmishes waiting for her on the morrow. All the same, Robin couldn't chase the warm hum out of her thoughts, or convince her senses that her feet really were touching the ground instead of walking on air. As she walked back to her tent, Chrom's words were a gentle lull in her ears.

_"You are the wind at my back and the sword at my side. Together, my love, we shall build a peaceful world...Just you and me."_


	3. Between Breaths

**Chapter 3: Between Breaths**

It deeply bothered him that one night after their wedding, Robin already had all his weak and sensitive points memorized. Somehow, it didn't seem fair that his wife could make him putty in seconds while he was still trying to figure her out. The time he had to mull over all of that came long after their evening together, when his heart had finally slowed down and his thoughts crawled out of euphoria and back into clarity. He stared up at the ceiling, considering the unfairness of this intimacy while Robin rested on his chest. Her head tucked neatly under his chin, and her breathing was low as it skimmed from her lips and against his skin in an even rhythm. A sharp contrast to how quick and gasping it had been just an hour ago.

All on their own, his fingers traced up her back and shoulder, learning the layout of her skin and muscles now that he had time to really take it in. Each plane and shift in her body he moved over, Chrom made sure to commit the feel of them to his memory. His hands picked out some of her hair still stuck against her neck, and worked on untangling the strands. It was a simple action, and let his mind wander as it kept his fingers busy.

_'Emm...'_ The name and a low aching sorrow settled across his thoughts without warning. _'If you could see us now, would you be proud of my choices? Of me and Robin?'_ He shifted his eyes towards the bedroom window and the night sky beyond it. The stars and silence gave him no answers, and did nothing to still his thoughts. _'I'm no Exalt like you...And I never will be. There's too much of a fighter in me for that.'_ Too much of his father in him as well, and that thought tried to push tension into his jaw and his hands into fists.

The only thing that kept him steady was when Robin's lips brushed against his neck. The feel of that, and a warmth settling along his face, snuffed the uneasiness out before it could take deeper root. And told him that the similarities between himself and his father only went so far. That he had something his parent never had, or never seemed to treasure. He tightened his grip around Robin's shoulders, pulling her close and tight against him. _'But I hope you'd be happy with what Robin and I can become, and what we might be able make.'_

His wife stirred from the hug and blinked up at him. As he looked at her, Chrom realized that if nothing else he was proud of Robin; how strong she was with him...And even how quick she was at figuring him out. That pain in his chest from losing Emm was still there, but as he held Robin close it felt more like a healing wound then a fresh one. Something that would stay scarred up and still ache from time to time, but not all consuming.

"Still awake?" Robin's voice was laced with drowsiness. "You should get some sleep, love."

"I know...Just thinking about things." As he spoke, Robin slid one elbow off him so she could prop herself up on the mattress and look down at Chrom. Robin tried to put a stern look on her face as she listened...Which was slightly ruined by the fact that her eyelids were still heavy with sleep.

"That's more of _my_ job then yours, isn't it? Planning, considering, not to mention pondering and dwelling on things, " She managed to put some scolding in her voice well enough, even with that sleepiness. Chrom grinned back at her as she laid her fingers out on the skin of his shoulder with each point. He suspected that the sleepiness was lifting from her, as she had the presence of mind to trace the symbol on his shoulder...Though for a change she didn't dwell on her own mark, even as it lay next to his brand. Chrom was grateful for that, and that there wasn't any heaviness on her shoulders when her eyes flickered over it. Even if that calmness for his wife meant she was leaving his skin quivering from her light touch. And was also turning all his nerves to mush from her ministrations, which was still an unfair advantage. "...And of course thinking."

"Yes, but far be it for me to let you shoulder that all by yourself." He spoke before she had the chance to consider the contrast in their skin. Robin snorted in response, before a laugh was shocked out of her throat as his hands went up to her ribs and his fingers skimmed along them. That was one thing he'd figured out, at least; that his wife had a ticklish spot along her sides. "See? Milady is already tense from so many responsibilities."

"Ch-chrom!" She squeaked out a warning as her voice went breathless from giggling. In retaliation, she dropped so they were back to being pressed chest to chest, and kissing him hard on the lips. The sudden contact took him by surprise, his hands going still. That was when Robin touched her teeth to his lip, and his grip on her sides went from strong to boneless.

"How do you do that?" He managed to gasp out when she pulled away to watch him again.

"Careful observation and a devotion to remembering things." She smiled down at him from underneath a collection of tousled bangs. "Like I said, I'm the thinker of this pair." Her voice and eyes were both wide awake as she kissed him again, letting the touch get drawn out between them as his hands regained enough strength to run up her back. When she sighed against his mouth, Chrom felt the remains of his worry and pain slide away while he kissed her back.

As it turned out, sleep was a long time coming for both of them.

-o-o-o-

She set the book aside, before shifting in the covers and turning so her hand was draped over Chrom. He could have been waiting for her, with how fast he turned to curl into her.

"Good reading?" He asked, and she answered with a nod as she rested against him. Gods bless her husband, and that he didn't find it odd she brought books to bed with them. He must have gotten used to her habits while they were on the road, realized how important reading was for her, and how difficult it was to get her mind to slow down in the evening.

Even without any pressing battles or enemies, her thoughts still insisted on working full tilt into the night.

"I've been looking at our treasury again. Plegia has done a lot to line our coffers, but I think..." She trailed off in thought. In the pause Chrom ran his fingers and palm over her stomach, coaxing her to breathe and speak again. "We've got a capable military unit in the Shepherds as is. I worry there'll be some grumblings if we shift the gold towards rebuilding instead of our army, but-"

"But it's what Emm would do." Chrom spoke as his hand rested against her chest. "And it's a sound idea. I don't want to see Ylisse bleed out from after trauma, now that the war is done. Where were you thinking of investing?"

"Rebuilding our farmlands so no one starves, for starters. I think Donnel might have some advise on that, first hand." It was odd pillow talk to engage in, but it helped set her mind at ease and mellow it out.

Although Chrom's hands on her body might have had something to do with that as well. She'd figured him out in just a few evenings, but he was starting to catch up with puzzling out where her own sensitive points were. One hand traveled along her arm, until it rested against her wrist. He rubbed his thumb over her hand, roughly tracing the mark on the back. She didn't know whether to shiver from pleasure or unease from the gesture, and Robin stalled making the choice by turning so her lips touched against his shoulder.

"I want to see the capital get back to flourishing again. Just like when I saw it the first time." She murmured into his skin. The thumb tracing over her hand kept dragging her focus away from fully thought out plans, and before she knew it her mouth was running without her permission. Robin wanted to blame the late hour, but that didn't change how her words were spilling out.

"It's strange. I know what things ARE, the names of things, but Ylisse is still my first memory of seeing a city. And the people I met there...You, Lissa, and the other Shepherds...You're still my first family that I can remember." She found herself whispering. "And sometimes I'm still scared..." Of losing that, though she didn't want to say it out loud. Chrom must have been able to guess well enough, which was something Robin still wasn't sure if she was happy about or not; it was a definite side effect of knowing each other so well.

He let out a breath, and Robin thought she could hear 'oh love' on the end of that, before his other hand found hers. When his fingers were folded fully around her hand, he brought it up to rest between them.

"Robin, look at what's on your finger again." The candles were well on their way to guttering out, but she could still see the ribbon of gold circling around her finger. The tear drop shape of the band glimmered in the shifting light, as Robin blinked at it.

"A...Wedding ring?" The weight and feel of it on her skin still took some getting used to.

"And what does that tell you?" He watched her with warm, steady eyes that left Robin ducking her head to hide any pink trying to creep onto her cheeks.

"That I'm...Your wife?"

"And a part of my life." He moved his thumb so it traced over her ring finger, across where poets claimed her heart line ran through her hand. "Always." He gave a cough before continuing.

"And..." Was that embarrassment she could pick out in his voice? "I know it's not the same, but it's sort of like a...A brand of your own. I hoped you'd see this as a good way to make you part of this family-" he was already floundering in his speech when she stretched out to kiss him on the lips. The words were swallowed up when their mouths touched and lingered together.

The candles flickered out before either of them came up for air. In the dark, Robin nuzzled at his cheek while she whispered her thanks, eyes going back to where her hand threaded through Chrom's hair. She couldn't pick out her ring in the moonlight, or at least the gold didn't stand out from her skin the same way the mark did. But she could feel the weight of the ring on her hand, and the press of metal against her skin felt far more comforting then before.

-o-o-o-

It didn't take much work to figure out where to find her, even with a castle as large as the Ylisse palace. Chrom just had to think of where they'd spent time before, and retrace his steps. He finally spotted her outlined on one of the landings; not the one where proclamations or ceremonies were held, but a sliver of balcony tucked into one of the wings. She was curled up where the balustrade met the wall, eyes scanning both the castle off to her side, and the wall and city ahead of them. The morning sunlight was soft on her face, but he could already pick out tired lines around her eyes.

"Didn't you sleep well?" He asked as he moved to stand beside her. Robin gave a little start from his voice, before relaxing when she realized who he was. All without ever glancing at him.

"Not as well as usual," she sighed out, gaze still fixed on the grounds stretched out below them. Her eyes narrowed, looking like they were trying to pick out some solution or hint from the landscape to solve whatever was bothering her. "How do you adapt to all of this, Chrom? Living in a castle is just so...Different."

"Do you not like it?" His couldn't keep alarm from making his voice thick. But Robin shook her head and took his hands in hers when she picked out that odd note to his voice. Her grip was gentle, to prove that she was relaxed.

"Not at all. It's just not what I'm used to; usually we move locations every other day. Staying in one spot for so many weeks is just...Odd to me." Chrom didn't realize he was holding his breath until he spoke again, already feeling relief flooding through him as several ideas came to mind. Regardless of what Robin teased him with, he could be clever from time to time.

"Well, soon enough you might be praying for a feather mattress again. The Risen aren't going to stop just because the war is over, and the Shepherds will still be making patrols. I won't be able to lead all of them, but...I'll still be traveling with them when I can." Even exhausted, she could pick out the meaning behind his talk quick enough, as her eyes widened and she stared right at him.

"You'll let me come too?"

"Of course...And to be honest, I'd like to have someone I can trust at my side." He ran a hand along her waist as he spoke. "And you know...If you want a change, there's no rule saying that you have to sleep in the exact same bed chamber every single night."

"If I can convince you to also move with me, I'll definitely consider it." That tired note was out of her voice, and he could hear a small laugh at the edge of her words. It was more then small when he kissed her on the cheek, and one of her arms wrapped around his back.

The other rested over her stomach, although Chrom couldn't quite understand the meaning behind that gesture. But it left her calm and with a smile in place, which was enough just then.

-o-o-o-

The mid morning sun did odd things to her memories. It streamed through the castle windows, and when she felt it on her skin, it stirred images that were far removed from the library she was settled in. When she shut her eyes, Robin was pulled completely back and into the memory; she could feel and smell fresh field grass all around her, and a strong hand wrapping around hers.

Her balance had been completely off when Chrom pulled her up that first time. Her thoughts hadn't been much better, a blur of jumbled images and sounds that settled into static in her ears. But she'd been able to push that chaos out long enough to help Chrom and the Shepherds at least, and that in turn had somehow helped order her thoughts. The new companions she'd found had always helped steady her, and left her in a better place then that field she first woke up in.

The memory pushed tears into the corners of her eyes, even while her mouth pulled back into a blissful smile. Perhaps even a little on the dopey side; when her thoughts caught up she certainly felt foolish enough, sitting in the library and sniffling over a happy memory. Robin hastily blinked her eyes clear, glancing around to make sure no one had walked in to notice her. To her relief the study room stayed quiet, and she could lean back again to focus on her book.

Save for a brief quiver in her belly as something turned and shifted. She let her hand fall down to rest over the swell until the child under her palms stilled. Her baby didn't seem to care for being stationary any more then her mother did, and Robin found herself pacing back to the library shelves for something more to add to her reading. She traced her hands over the spines of the books as she passed between shelves, through sunlight and shade, before pausing at another window. In the sunlight it was easy to see a shadow different then hers fall across the floor.

"You're both alright?" Once Robin heard that voice in her ear, she leaned back into the pair of arms that she knew would already be waiting for her. In a way, she was surprised it took Chrom so long to find her and ask the five-times-a-day-minimum question.

"Of course; I was just outlining a few new plans on patrols for our forces to take. Like you said, the Risen won't stay sedate just because there aren't wars to fight." Or that there was a baby on the way. "Trust me Chrom, I'm fine; no pulling late night studies OR wasting any candles...Though gods know you have enough in the palace."

He took her hands into his, fingers curling around hers and brushing over her wedding ring. She could feel his own against her palm as she turned in his arm and curled into his chest. "You don't have to worry about me," she reassured him again, the fourth time that week.

"I...I know don't have to," she couldn't miss the tension in his voice. "But I do anyway. I just-" He cut off, shaking his head into her hair as he held her as tight as he dared. Two years hadn't removed all of the hurt from losing Emmeryn, Robin knew. Even in the best of times, that pain was still there...And her pregnancy had left him with a mile long protective streak over her and their child. Robin let silence fall over them as they stood outlined against the window, waiting for his thoughts and emotions to settle again before she spoke. The warmth from their bodies and the sun must have helped, as the tightness in his grip slowly eased with each breath.

"You know, once I can finally hold our baby, the next thing we're doing is going back to the practice yard. Regardless of how many training dummies we break in the process." Robin murmured into the join of his shoulder and neck, eyes half closed.

"I'll have you know, I'm getting better at not putting holes in things." Chrom replied in a way that instantly told Robin he was fibbing. She bumped her head against his neck as a quiet rebuttal. "But that's really what you want?" He asked, a little uncertain as he moved to trace circles on her back.

"Well, maybe not the most immediate thing; I can think of a few more ideas and plans that involve you...But getting my skills back up to par is a high priority. I miss being with you on the field. And I get the feeling you might relax more if you remember that I can manage and protect myself." She kept her eyes closed as she listened to his breathing; from the way it fluttered under her ear, Robin could tell that her husband was smiling and trying to keep a chuckle under control.

"You know me too well sometimes," he whispered into her hair. "But you're right...It'd help ease my mind if I remembered. Though..." His pulse was trying to work back to racing again, she could tell through her cheek pressed against his neck. "Though...You're not pushing yourself right now, are you?"

"Chrom!" She worked as much indignation as she could into her voice and with her face still pressed into his shoulder. "I keep telling you, I'm alright. No risks, no chances taken...And frankly it's driving me mad, letting everything I've learned with you go to rust." She sighed the last out. "So if I promise to keep being careful, do you promise to relax AND help me train when the baby is here?"

"I..." He inhaled, clearly thinking over her offer before speaking. "I promise, milady." He was gentle with his words, the same way his hug was easing up as he reached his decision. He was soft enough that she didn't want to do more then prod him for using that half-teasing title. "Though it won't take long to get your center back."

"You sound so sure," her voice was a murmur, in contrast to the confidence growing in his. Which she found herself quickly preferring over hearing worry sticking to his tongue.

"Yeah...Because I already know we're two halves. Or at least, you reminded me about that. It won't be hard to fit back together on the field. You trust me on that, right?"

"Yes," the light was moving from the window pane, shifting so they stood in shadow and taking the warmth from the air with it. But staying pressed against Chrom, Robin found herself wrapped in plenty of comfort. "I do."

-o-o-o-

_'A girl.'_ Chrom told himself as he looked down at their child. Robin held her head up so he could brush a thumb over her forehead and through those first wisps of hair, and look into those blue eyes. Only a few days old, and he could see the mark of the Exalt in one. They were already bright and curious, and he didn't think he was imagining that his daughter was already learning her parent's faces. _'A beautiful baby girl.'_

"She takes after her father," Robin murmured as she cradled Lucina close against her. Her hands fought between shaking and staying steady, which may have been part of why Robin kept Lucina resting against her arm and body. Even though she'd been with child for so long, actually holding Lucina in her arms must have been a new and unexpected sensation. He could feel his wife's sides fluttering against his, fighting between crying and laughing from relief. A glimpse at her eyes also showed him that they were gleaming with a few unshed tears, while her mouth kept tugging into a grin. He was still reeling from the fact that they had a child as well. Doomsday could have been pounding down at their door for all the awareness he gave anything else. His own world narrowed to the wife and daughter in front of him, as his mind spun in euphoric circles and Robin continued in a hushed voice. "She has your eyes, your hair...I'm glad of that."

He could see the fingers on her right hand twitch, and knew that thoughts of the brand on her skin lurked somewhere in her head, fully realized or not. Even now, out of battle and within the walls of the castle, she wore gloves over her hands more often then not, keeping the skin on them out of sight and mostly out of mind...Save for where she'd clipped away the fingers on her left glove, leaving her ring to clearly show. He covered her hand with his own as he wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. With a tug, Chrom drew his wife and daughter against his chest.

"Give it time, and she'll have her mother's wit and strength, too." He answered, and kissed Robin on the forehead as her skin grew warm from his praise. Through the pink on her cheeks, he also saw some glimmers of confusion settling over her features.

"I thought that strength is...More of your forte, though?" She rested her head against his cheek as she said that, bumping against the muscles of his arms to prove the point. Chrom shook his head as he weaved their fingers together.

"Physical strength, maybe. But you're the strong one when it comes to faith and perseverance." Another kiss, this time on the crown of her head while he breathed in her scent. "You're always there to pull me back up. And make me a stronger person."

"Only because you do the same for me." Robin tilted her head so she caught his next kiss on her mouth, giving a soft humming noise when their lips touched. Before he could move to deepen their kiss, Lucina gave a squeak in Robin's arms; not quite fussy, but clearly wanting her parent's attention to be on her as well. Robin and Chrom both shifted their grip so she could rock their child back and forth, quieting her with the steady motion. As Chrom watched, he dropped his arms so they were wrapped snug around her waist. Through it all, the newest part of their family and lives gave a contented cooing noise, giving them an open mouthed smile as they watched. Robin never took her eyes off her daughter, and kept her head resting against Chrom as they breathed in and out together, falling into synchronization once again.

The End


End file.
